Farming for Biodiversity - Proven solutions meet global policy

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The Convention on Biological Diversity’s Executive Secretary Cristiana Pașca-Palmer describes the loss of biodiversity as a “silent killer”.

For many of us, the loss may not feel immediately palpable in everyday life. By the time we feel what’s happening and recognize the changing face of the Earth, it may be too late. There is still hope for preserving what’s left of the world’s rich diversity of life. Producers and consumers that adopt and spur demand for sustainable farming practices — such as those that protect soils, water, forests, and fish stocks — play a key role in stopping biodiversity loss. But too often, these innovative actors and their solutions operate unseen and unheard — silent, like the issue they face. We must, then, be willing to search for them.

This report is based on an in-depth analysis of the 338 proven solutions submitted under the contest. It responds to the accelerating loss of biodiversity globally, while also identifying the common success factors that allow for replication and a blueprint for scaling the adoption of sustainable behaviours needed to protect biodiversity globally.

In this way, the report links local solutions to relevant global policy processes, particularly the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Youth success stories

"Being a YPARD representative gave me so many empowering opportunities, but also a chance to empower others" Testimonial by Ivana Radic Jean highlighting her experience and journey in working with youth in agriculture within the YPARD Serbia community since February 2013.

In 2017, YPARD member, Sebastian Mengel, was the recipient of the Master Thesis award for his collaborative research with YPARD, HAFL and CGIAR CRP drylands program on agricultural livelihoods of rural youth in the drylands of Midelt, Morocco.

This testimonial by Dinesh Panday highlights his experience in working with youth in agriculture within the YPARD Nepal community since 2012. He is currently a doctoral graduate research assistant (2016-2019) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the former YPARD Nepal country representative.

The climate-smart irrigation system was designed with the aim of addressing these challenges; by collecting rainwater, transferring it below the soil surface and using it during the time of low rainfall thus making water available and accessible for perennial plants all year round.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 was created to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts to ensure climate resilient agriculture and ICT based business promotional interventions from producer to consumer level. Youth, therefore, can play a supporting role to increase awareness and promote the agenda of SDG for agricultural sustainability to make sure others are aware of it.

Marc Ghislain tells about all the changing scenes in his life as a young professional in agriculture: the anxiety in choosing a profession in agriculture and how his engagement with YPARD helped him find his feet in the agricultural sector.

I strongly support and believe in an inclusive and equitable quality education together with lifelong learning opportunities for all. It is very important that we start to facilitate more flexible career paths in science if we want to encourage diversity and creativity. Being a lifelong learner is a value of sustainable self-development. It opens the door to life-changing, rewarding, fulfilling and continuous growth.

The role of young people in helping shift gender perceptions is paramount. We can no longer employ tradition and culture as excuses for allowing basic inequalities between genders to occur and to keep perpetuating themselves. We need to acknowledge and cherish culture, but also acknowledge that culture is not a static entity and that it can, and must, evolve towards a more equal society.

In an era where population, technologies and modernization are fast growing, meeting up with the basic food needs of the population worldwide is one of the greatest challenges nations and international institutions are witnessing. Marc Ghislain shares his views on how the young people can be part of the solution and more importantly in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal number two.